For 35 years, Oak Harbor has celebrated its Dutch roots with Holland Happening: a festival filled with family and fun. This year’s extravaganza will feature old favorites — the parade, the food — and new twists — klompen canal race returns for its second year and a fashion show Sunday will give folks a look at family heirlooms and costumes.

This year’s artwork features “All are welkom here.” There’s a cocky rooster as a sign of Dutch connections with the land, as well as a reminder of the Dutch farms that once dotted the island. Prominently displayed are the traditional Dutch klompen, or wooden shoes.

The vignette is featured on this year’s Holland Happening t-shirts. T-shirts are available at the Chamber of Commerce for $16, sweatshirts and long-sleeved T-shirts for $22 and polo shirts for $25, and will be available at festival headquarters on SE Pioneer Way.

This year’s tile was created by Dorothy Neil. Neil, 94, has been creating tiles for Holland Happening each year since 1979. To see the full display, visit the Chamber of Commerce.

If you’re really concerned with calories, make sure you get out and run or walk the 5K or 1 mile “race” which starts at Oak Harbor Christian School.

Artwork created by Oak Harbor’s elementary school children will be on display throughout the festival, with an opening scheduled for Thursday evening, April 22, from 6 to 8 p.m., at Big Cup Coffee & Gifts on SE Pioneer Way.

All elementary classes will be represented and will be on display along Pioneer Way.

Parade begins at 11 a.m. on the corner of Midway and Pioneer. It heads along Bayshore to City Beach Street, pops back up onto SE Pioneer Way and ends at Ace Hardware.

Quilters on the Rock will blanket Pioneer Way stores with myriad quilts throughout the weekend. Quilts will be on display Friday night through Sunday afternoon.

First Reformed Church will serve its traditional Dutch dinner (open to the public) Friday, April 23, from 5 to 7 p.m.

The traditional fare will include Erwtensoep (pea soup), Gehakt ballejes met jus (meatballs with gravy), Hutspot (roasted potatoes, onions and carrots), Sla met saus (non-traditional tossed salad), Appelsaus (applesauce), Roggebrood met kaas (rye bread with Gouda cheese), Olie Bollen (fried pastry dessert), Koffie (coffee) and Limonade (lemonade).

The dinner costs $8 for adults, $6 for students aged 12-18 and $4 for children under 12. Tickets are available at the door.

The Dance Festival attracts dance troupes from throughout western Washington. Witness traditional dancing and beats representative of Hawaii, Ireland, Philippines, Germany, Holland, Scotland and Africa. The Hugo Helmer Accordian Band and Bonnie Birch, a classic accordianist, will play Dutch tunes.

It’s a competition led by the 12 mower–12 man team, Whidbey Island Bladebenders. Come out to the old Rodeo Grounds on Fakkema Road Sunday, April 25, at noon, for some hardcore mower action.

The festival’s Dutch fashion show will delight and educate the crowd with its models, locally-made costumes and narration. See costumes from four provinces – Frisian, Walchren, Volendam and Middleburg – and find out how these costumes were designed and embellished. The fashion show kicks off downtown Sunday, April 25, at 1 p.m.

By a klomp (wooden shoe) for $5, decorate it and bring it to the race on Sunday, April 25, at 3 p.m. for the Klompen Canal Race.

In groups of 100, the klompen will be placed into the pool, raced down the canal and dropped over the waterfall.

In each heat, cash will be awarded to various finishers, not just your traditional top three finishers to make the race a bit more competitive.

Each klomp can only be raced once, but there is no limit to the number of klompen a participant can race. Use waterproof paints and glues when decorating klompen, which are available at Greenhouse Florist & Nursery, Big Cup Coffee & Gifts, Daily Grind and the Chamber of Commerce. They will also be available at festival headquarters downtown up until the race begins.